"They're at it," growled my uncle, forgetting his gout, and loosing my arm. "Now Browsem, you and Todds go round, and we'll come forward, only mind when I whistle, it's for help." The next moment I was going to speak to the keeper, but I started, for he was gone, and on looking behind I found Todds had also vanished, quiet as a snake, for my uncle and I stood alone. "You'll stick to me, Dick?" whispered the old gentleman. "Conditions," I said in the same voice. "What? the white feather," growled the old gentleman. "No, no," I said, "but if I enlist now on your side, will you join me in a siege afterwards?" "Siege? what the deuce? Why don't you speak plain, sir?" "Well," I said, "I mean about--about--a certain young lady at the Priory, you know." "Confound your thick head, sir. Why, if you had had an ounce of brains, you could have seen what I meant, and--" "Bang, bang!" from the wood. "Forward," shouted my uncle, and crossing a small open field, we entered the Spinney. Now, if I were to say that I was brave, the assertion would be a fib, for I possess but few of the qualifications for making a good soldier; but all the same, as we pushed our way in that night amongst the thick hazel stubs, I felt a sort of tingly sensation in my arm, which made me grasp my weapon more tightly, and feel as if I wished there was something to hit. "Keep your eyes well open, Dick," whispered my uncle, "and if you come across a tall thin squinting rascal with his nose on one side, mind, that's Ruddle's. Fell him to the ground in an instant, sir. No mercy: capture him as you love me, and if you do take the scoundrel, you shall have another cool thousand down on your wedding morning." "And if I don't?" I whispered. "Hold your tongue, you dog, and don't talk nonsense." On we went in silence as to our tongues, but with the leaves rustling and sticks cracking as we pushed on. Now I could hear my uncle ejaculating; then he'd stumble and mutter, while once I had to haul him out of a small hole half full of water. "Confound it!" growled the old gentleman; "but I'll pay some one for all this. Open out a bit to the right, Dick." I separated from the main body, and on we still pressed, rustling and crackling along, while now and again I could make out the well-defined forms of pheasants roosting amidst the low branches of the trees. All at once I heard my uncle stop short, for about a hundred yards to my right there came again a sharp "bang, bang" of two guns. "Push on, my boy," whispered the old gentleman, closing up; and then, as fast as we could for the dense undergrowth, we made our way in the direction of the sounds. "They're out strong, my boy, but we're four determined men with right on our side, and a prize to win; eh, you dog?" "Oof!" I involuntarily exclaimed, for just then my uncle gave me a poke in the ribs with his stick--very facetiously, no doubt; but it hurt.